Railroad track gripping apparatus



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RAILROAD TRACK GRIPPING APPARATUS Filed June 10, 1964 4 SheetsSheet 4James 1/, Cfir/sforff United States Patent 6" 3,274,951 RAILROAD TRACKGRIIPPING APPARATUS James W. Christofi, Minneapoiis, Minn, assignor toMaunix Internationai 1116., Minneapolis, Minn. Filed Shane 10, 1964,Ser. No. 373,925 3 Claims. (Cl. 104-7) This application is acontinuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No. 285,051,filed June 3, 1963, now abandoned.

This invention relates to apparatus for use with vehicles constructedfor travel on railroad tracks, and is concerned with mechanisms fortransmitting vertical forces between track and vehicle in the oppositedirection to those resulting from the weight of the vehicle. Such forcesmay take the form of forces exerted upwardly on the track by the vehicleto lift a span of track, or conversely, they take the form of forcesexerted downwardly on the vehicle by the track in order to hold thevehicle on the track in the face of some sideways pull or tiltingmoment, as for example can arise in the case of a track mounted crane.

Track lifting is the main application for which the present inventionhas been developed, and for this reason it will be described belowprincipally in relation to such use. In this aspect the inventionrelates to apparatus adapted to elevate successive portions of the trackas a continuous operation, that is to say as the vehicle proceeds downthe track. Such apparatus may be used with other instrumentalities suchas under-track devices for working the roadbed or ballast thereon andwhich are such as to require temporary elevation of the track. Otheruses of the apparatus will be to assist in the slewing or alignment oftrack.

When employed for track lifting the apparatus is used in conjunctionwith an elongated boom each end of which rests on a cart. The two cartsrest on unelevated sections of track. At an appropriate locationintermediate the two carts, .the lifting apparatus is secured to theboom. The apparatus includes rollers which grasp the heads of the railsand apply the necessary lifting forces to elevate the span of trackbetween the two carts. Essentially such an arrangement was disclosed inArbenz et al. US. Patent No. 1,100,006 issued June 16, 1914.

When it is desired to render such apparatus suitable for continuousoperation while traveling along the track, a problem is encountered inthe form of the encumbrance to the rollers that is presented by theangle bars or fish plates which join the ends of adjacent railstogether. Arbenz et al. met this problem (see FIGURE 14 of said patent)by providing comparatively sharp edged rollers and squeezing these edgestightly into the small space shown between the top edge of the angle barand the underside of the head of the rail. This solution to the problemis not practicable with the type of angle bar now currently in use,because the top of the angle bar fits snugly underneath the head of therail and leaves insufficient space for any effective purchase to begained by the roller flanges. When the rails are joined together bywelding, a similar problem arises. The weld forms a protuberance thatforces the lifting rollers apart and prevents their retaining a properlifting grip on the rail head.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an improvedstructure that will operate satisfactorily on track fitted with modernangle bar or in which the rails are welded together.

Other objects and feature of the invention will appear as thedescription proceeds.

The accompanying drawings illustrate apparatus for carrying theinvention into practice. The description which follows is provided byway of example only, the scope of the invention being determined by theappended claims.

3,274,95l Patented Sept. 27, I966 In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a small scale, side view of a complete track liftingassembly;

FIGURE 2 is a fragment of FIGURE 1 showing the raill lifting mechanismin more detail and on a larger sca e;

FIGURE 3 is a section on the line IIIIII in FIG URE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a partial section on the line IV-IV in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a side view of one of the roller assemblies;

FIGURE 6 is a section on the line VIVI in FIG- URE 5, but including arail;

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 6 showing the parts in anotherposition;

FIGURE 8 is a detailed view of a feeler structure;

FIGURE 9 is a side view of a second construction taken on the line IX-IXin FIGURE 10 but with certain parts shown exposed;

FIGURE 10 is a plan view of the mechanism of FIG- URE 9 taken on theline XX in FIGURE 9;

FIGURE 11 is a front fragmentary view taken on the line XI-XI in FIGURE9;

FIGURE 12 is the same as FIGURE 11 with the parts in a differentposition;

FIGURE 13 is a detailed view of a hold-down roller structure;

FIGURE 14 is a detailed view of a feeler structure taken on the lineXIV-XIV in FIGURE 15; and

FIGURE 15 is a view on line XV-XV in FIGURE 14.

The apparatus shown in FIGURE 1 consists of a boom It supported at eachend on carts II and 12 on unelevated portions of track 13. Theliftingymechanism 14 shown centrally of FIGURE 1 to elevate a span 15 oftrack is shown in more detail in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4. This mechanismcomprises a frame formed on its upper surface with a transverselyextending slideway 21 in which can slide the lower flange of an I-beam22 which is freely pivotally supported by brackets 23 and pivot pins 24from a pair of columns 25 that are vertically slidably mounted in aframe member 26 of the boom 10. Vertical movement is controlled by ahydraullic cylinder 27, the piston 2d of which is also connected to theI-beam 22 through brackets 29 and pivot pin 30. The pivot pins 24 and 30are all coaxial so that the lifting frame 20 is free to rotate about ahorizontal axis extending transversely of the track. This enables it totake up any necessary position corresponding to the attitude of thetrack.

Transverse shifting of the frame 20 is obtainable by a motor 31 (FIGURE4) driving a pinion 32 which meshes with a gear 33 which is internallythreaded to receive a screw 34. The ends of the screw 34 are attached bypivot pins 35 to upstanding plates 36 secured to the lifting frame 20.Rotation of the motor 31 in the appropriate direction thus produces abodily shifting of the whole frame 20 to one side, sliding taking placebetween the slideway21 and beam 22. This movement enables the apparatusto be accommodated to curves in the track and also permits an operatorto use the apparatus to modify the alignment of the track, over bothcurved and straight sections.

As seen from FIGURE 2, the rollers which engage the rails are formedinto three groups 40, 41 and 42, such groups being repeated on the otherside of the track (see FIGURE 3). Each group consists of threeindividual rollers 50, arranged two on one side of the rail and one .onthe other side. The side on which the single roller is arranged isalternated between the groups.

Each roller assembly also includes a pair of feeler mechanisms 51supported one beyond each end of each roller group. Brackets 52 mountthe feeler mechanisms 51 is; J in fixed positions by connecting them tothe casings 53 of the roller assemblies.

As shown in FIGURES and 6, each assembly casing 53 supports its threerollers 50 so as each to be freely pivotable on bearings 54 aboutnormally vertical axes defined by stub axles 55. Roller flanges 50aclosely engage the undersurfaces of the head of the rail 64L Each of theaxles 55 is mounted in its casing 53 to pivot about a horizontal pin 56,such pivoting being controlled by an arm 57 which is secured to eachaxle 55. At their upper ends the arms 57 converge towards the centre ofthe casing 53 and each carry a further pin 58 that engages a slot 59 inan elongated actuating bar 60 which is forked at 61 to embrance each ofthe arms 57. The bar 61) is vertically slidably mounted in guidesurfaces 61' of the casing 53 and is moved up and down by the piston 62(FIGURE 7) of a double-acting hydraulic cylinder 63. The effect ofexpanding such cylinder, shown in FIGURE 7, is to rotate the rollers 511about their pins 56 from their rail-embracing condition to a spread-openor rail-releasing condition in which they are separated from the rail64.

Each feeler mechanism '51 comprises a flexible probe 65 mounted on aball 66 (FIGURE 8) supported in a socket 67 and acting on the actuatingpin of a m-icroswitch 68. This mechanism is conventional and no claim ismade to any novelty therein. For each of the six groups of rollers, thetwo associated feeler mechanisms 51 are connected in parallel byelectric cables 74 to a power source 75 and to a solenoid and hydraulicvalve assembly 7 3 (FIGURE 7) which passes hydraulic fluid to thehydraulic cylinder 63 through lines '72. As soon as either one of theprobes 65 of a given roller assembly is deflected from its normalposition in which it just clears the Web 69 of the rail 64 (FIGURE 6) bystriking an angle bar 70 (FIGURE 7), the cylinder 63 is energized tomove the rollers to their rail-releasing condition. Release of bothprobes causes positive reversal to move the rollers to railembracingcondition.

Thus, assuming the parts to start in the position shown in FIGURE 2, ifthe apparatus were to move along the track to the right the probe of theleading feeler mechanism 51 of the central roller group 41 would soonencounter the angle bar 70 with the result that the rollers of thisgroup will be spread open to the FIGURE 7 position. Before this leadingprobe is released by the angle bar 70 the probe of the trailing feelermechanism 51 of the same roller group will be deflected by the sameangle bar. The rollers will thus be maintained in the open positionuntil the trailing feeler probe of the roller group 41 has passed beyondthe end of the angle bar '70.

In order to achieve this operation, the spacing of the parts isimportant. The spacing between the probes of each pair of feelermechanisms, that is to say the feeler mechanisms located at each end of.a given roller group, must not exceed the length of the shortest anglebar to be encountered in practice. In this way the trailing feelermechanism must be actuated before the leading feeler mechanism isreleased and rollers are held open.

To avoid two groups of rollers being open simultaneously, the spacingbetween adjacent probes of adjacent roller groups, that is to say thespacing between the probe of the trailing feeler mechanism of rollergroup 42, for example, and the probe of the leading feeler mechanism ofroller group 411 must be greater than the longest angle bar to beencountered in practice. A typical bar length is 36 inches.

As will best be appreciated from FIGURE 1, an elevated span of trackwill have a significant upward curvature. The sharpness of thiscurvature will tend to be increased when the ends of the elevated spanare artifically held down on the roadbed by downward thrust at the carts11 and 1 2. To provide ideal lifting conditions with a track so curved,the central roller group 41 on each side is secured to the frame at aslightly higher elevation than that of the front and rear roller groups40 and 42.

If desired, the magnitude of this vertical differential between rollergroups can be made adjustable by mounting one or other of the assembliesto be Vertically movable on the frame 20. Although the track will notnormally be elevated and hence not upwardly curved when the liftingmechanism is in the fully down position shown in FIGURE 2, this viewshows a typical curvature of elevated track to facilitate appreciationof this aspect of the invention.

Whenever a roller group approaches an angle bar, the rollers areautomatically spread out to their rail-releasing condition to passfreely by the angle bar and no two groups of rollers (on any one rail)will be open simultaneously. It follows that each rail will always besupported by at least two groups of rollers. If support by only onegroup can be accepted as it normally can, then only two groups need beprovided to engage each rail. Such an arrangement is illustrated in thealternative construction of FIGURES 9 to 15.

This mechanism is supported by a pair of horizontal, transverse beamsthat are slidingly mounted in tubular supports 81 secured to the boom10. Each beam 80 has secured to each of its ends a vertically oriented,tubular support 82 in which a vertically extending beam 83 is slidinglymounted. The lower end of each beam 8 3 carries a bracket 84 to which isconnected the piston rod 85 of a hydraulic cylinder 86 secured to theassociated support 32. On each side of the track the lower ends of thebeams 83 support a horizontal, longitudinally extending beam 87. Theconnection of each horizontal beam 87 to each vertical beam 83 ispivotally, being about pin 88, and, at one end, some freedom to slide isprovided by a slot 89 in the beam 87 which cooperates with the pin 88.

Between the forward ends of the two beams 87 there extends aninterconnecting horizontal beam 90, and a similar beam joins the rearends of the two beams 87. At each end, somewhat inwardly of the beams87, the interconnecting beams 90 support four roller assemblies showngenerally at 91.

Each roller assembly 91 includes a pair of rail-gripping rollers 92 eachfreely pivotable on bearing 94 about a normally vertical axis (FIGURE11) defined by a stub axle 93. Each bearing 9'4 is mounted on a frame 95which is pivotally mounted on a pin 96 in the fixed structure 97 of theassembly 91. Frame 95 carries a pin 98 that slidingly engages a slot 99in a plate 100 secured to the lower end of a piston rod 101 of adouble-acting hydraulic cylinder 162. It will be evident that verticalmovement of the rod 101 will cause rotation of the pair of rollers 92between the rail-embracing condition of FIGURE 11 and the rail-releasingcondition of FIGURE 12.

It will be observed that, in this embodiment of the invention, therollers are swung about axes (defined by pins E6) that are offset fromthe axes of the stub axles 93 in the direction away from the rail 64. Asa result, when the rollers are swung inwardly to their rail-embracingcondition they also perform a lifting motion which serves to pick up therail which may have sagges slightly at this location while beingsupported only by the other roller group. The lifting action of therollers also serves to force the rail head tightly up against a pair ofhold-down rollers 103 and thus ensure an accurate location of the railin relation to the roller assembly.

As best seen in FIGURE 13, each roller 103 is mounted to rotate freelyabout a pin 104 which is secured at its ends in a forked frame 105 thatis slidably mounted in the fixed structure Q7 and adjustable in positionby screw 10-6 secured by lock nut 107.

Detection of angle bars 70 is effected by feeler mechanisms of whichthere are eight, one located immediately ahead and one immediatelybehind each pair of railgripping rollers 92. Each mechanism 110 (FIGURES14 and 15) comprises a feeler roller 111 having a pair of flanges 111astraddling a rail 64, and a central portion 11112 riding on such rail.The roller 1 11 is mounted On a forked arm 112 that is free to turn onpin 113. Arm 112 bears on a pin 1 14 projecting from one arm 115 of abell-crank lever, the other arm 116 of which is acted on by a spring 117that urges the arm 116 against a stop 118 secured to support 119 andhence of casing 120. sup port 119 also supports a micro-switch 121having an actuating plunger 1 22 engaging the arm 116.

Normally the roller portion 1111) will ride on the rail head as shown inFIGURE 14. When an angle bar 70 is encountered, the flanges 111a willride up on the same, slightly elevating the arm 1'12 and hence turningthe arm 116 sufficiently to actuate the micro-switch 121 to energize asolenoid 123 to move the rollers 92 to open position. Initial setting upadjustment of each feeler mechanism 91 is effected by screw 124 whichcontrols the relative positions of casing 120 and fixed structure 97.

In FIGURE 9 the second embodiment of the invention is shown engagingunelevated rail. It will be employed in the manner of FIGURE 1 toelevate a span of track by the lifting action of cylinders 86. Anyvariation from horizontal of the rails can be followed by the rollers byvirtue of the freedom of horizontal beams 87 to pivot at each end attheir connections to vertical beams 83. In addition to this liftingaction the whole assembly can perform a track aligning operation bylateral shifting of the beams 80 relative to the boom 10. Shifting inone direction is powered by a pair of cylinders 126 and in the otherdirection by a pair of cylinders 126.

As an alternative, automatic operation by feelers can be dispensed with,the various hydraulic cylinders 63 and 102 being individually controlledby an operator. There will normally be an operator travelling on theboom to take care of other apparatus mounted thereon and sus pendedtherefrom beneath the track. It will be necessary for the operator tocontrol the lateral shifting of the frame 20 by motor 31 or of beams 80by cylinders 1-25, 126, to take into account transverse curvature of thetrack as the apparatus proceeds, and the same operator can actuate thehydraulic cylinder 66 or 102 of each roller group at the appropriatetime to cause the rollers to spread and allow an angle bar to pass. Withthe feeler mechanisms 51 or 110 thus dispensed with, the criticalspacing, that is the spacing which must be at least as great as thelength of the longest angle bar to be encountered, will nowtheoretically be determined as between adjacent rollers of adjacentroller groups, rather than between adjacent feeler mechanisms ofadjacent roller groups. However, as a practical matter, it will beconvenient to make the spacing between roller groups rather larger thanthis theoretical minimum in order to allow the operator some latitude ofjudgment in the timing he adopts for closing the roller group which hasjust passed beyond an angle bar and then opening the next roller groupwhich is just approaching the same angle bar.

As above mentioned, the invention may be applied to vehicles such ascranes or excavators that travel on rails and require holding downagainst tilting. In this case no lifting mechanism is required, therollers and their associated mechanisms (hydraulic cylinder, mechanicallinkages, and preferably the feelers for automatic operation) beingprovided in addition to the normal Wheels that support the vehicle onthe track. All the features described above are applicable to such aconstruction, with the exception of the mounting of the roller groups atdifferent levels to accommodate an upwardly curving track. Since thetrack would not be lifted, it would not become curved in this way.

Although it will be much preferred that the rollers of each group gripthe head of the same rail, it would be possible to space the rollers ofa group by the width of the track so that the rollers are moved in toembrace the outside edges of the heads of the two rails or converselyare moved out to embrace the inside edges of the heads of the two rails,it being assumed that in such cases the gauge of the rails is rigidlymaintained by the ties, or the flanges of the wheels of the vehicle ifthe invention is applied say to a vehicle mounted crane, the rollersbeing located near such wheels. With these alternatives in mind,reference in the claims which follow to the rollers of a group grippinga rail structure is intended to include such rollers gripping oppositelyfacing surfaces of a single rail or a pair of rails.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for travelling along a railroad track while simultaneouslylifting a span of said track, the rails of which are joined together byangle bars, comprising:

(a) a vehicle comprising a pair of carts spaced apart along the trackand a boom interconnecting said carts,

(b) a lifting frame vertically movably mounted on said boom intermediatesaid carts,

(c) at least four groups of rail-lifting rollers,

(d) each group comprising a plurality of rollers with at least oneroller of the group positioned on each side of a rail of said track,

(e) each roller including a flange portion for supportingly engaging theunderside of a rail head,

(f) each group including means for moving the rollers thereof between aclosed, rail-embracing condition and an open, rail-releasing condition,

(g) said moving means for each group being operable independently of themoving means for each other said group,

(h) and means mounting all said roller groups on said frame with a pairof said roller groups engaging each rail of the track with said pair ofgroups spaced from each other in the longitudinal direction of thevehicle with a clear space between the two nearest rollers of adjacentgroups on each side of the vehicle greater than the longest angle bar inuse on said track, the rollers of a first group of each said pair ofgroups being movable by said moving means to open condition to avoid anangle bar while the second group of such pair remains in closedcondition, so that the side of the track on which such pair is situatedremains supported from said lifting frame by said second roller group,the first roller group being recloseable beyond the angle bar tomaintain such support from said lifting frame before opening the secondroller group to avoid the angle bar.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, including a plurality of furtherrollers and means mounting said rollers on said frame to rotate freelyabout horizontal axes extending transversely across the track, at leastone such further roller being located between each group of railliftingrollers to engage the upper surface of a rail head embraced by saidrail-lifting rollers.

3. Apparatus for travelling along a railroad track while simultaneouslylifting a span of said track, the rails of which are joined together byangle bars, comprising:

(a) a vehicle comprising a pair of carts spaced apart along the trackand a boom interconnecting said carts,

(b) a lifting frame vertically movably mounted on said boom intermediatesaid carts,

(c) six groups of rail lifting rollers,

(d) each group comprising a plurality of rollers with at least oneroller of the group positioned on each side of a rail of said track,

(6) each roller including a flange portion for supportingly engaging theunderside of a rail head,

(f) each group including means for moving the rollers thereof between aclosed, rail-embracing condition and an open, rail-releasing condition,

(g) said moving means for each group being operable independently of themoving means for each other said group,

(h) and means mounting all said roller groups on said frame with threeof said roller groups engaging each rail of the track with the groupsspaced from each other in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle witha clear space between the two nearest rollers of each pair of adjacentgroups on each side of the vehicle greater than the longest angle bar inuse on said track, the rollers of a first group of each of said threegroups being movable by said moving means to open condition to avoid anangle bar while the second and third groups of the three groups remainin closed condition, so that the side of the track on which such threegroups are situated remains supported from said lifting frame by saidsecond and third roller groups, the first roller group being report fromsaid lifting frame before opening one of the second and third rollergroups to avoid the angle bar.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,170,410 2/1965Christofi 1047 FOREIGN PATENTS 446,014 6/1927 Germany. 552,160 6/1932Germany.

ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

closeable beyond the angle bar to maintain such sup- 15 R. A. BERTSCH,Assistant Examiner.

1. APPARATUS FOR TRAVELLING ALONG A RAILROAD TRACK WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLYLIFTING A SPAN OF SAID TRACKS, THE RAILS OF WHICH ARE JOINED TOGETHER BYANGLE BARS, COMPRISING: (A) A VEHICLE COMPRISING A PAIR OF CARTS SPACEDAPART ALONG THE TRACK AND A BOOM INTERCONNECTING SAID CARTS, (B) ALIFTING FRAME VERTICALLY MOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID BOOM INTERMEDIATE SAIDCARTS, (C) AT LEAST FOUR GROUPS OF RAIL-LIFTING ROLLERS, (D) EACH GROUPCOMPRISING A PLURALITY OF ROLLERS WITH AT LEAST ONE ROLLER OF THE GROUPPOSITIONED ON EACH SIDE OF A RAIL OF SAID TRACK, (E) EACH ROLLERINCLUDING A FLANGE PORTION FOR SUPPORTINGLY ENGAGING THE UNDERSIDE OF ARAIL HEAD, (F) EACH GROUP INCLUDING MEANS FOR MOVING THE ROLLERS THEREOFBETWEEN A CLOSED, RAIL-EMBRACING CONDITION AND AN OPEN, RAIL-RELEASINGCONDITION, (G) SAID MOVING MEANS FOR EACH GROUP BEING OPERABLEINDEPENDENTLY OF THE MOVING MEANS FOR EACH OTHER SAID GROUP, (H) ANDMEANS MOUNTING ALL SAID ROLLER GROUPS ON SAID FRAME WITH A PAIR OF SAIDROLLER GROUPS ENGAGING EACH RAIL OF THE TRACK WITH SAID PAIR OF GROUPSSPACED FROM EACH OTHER IN THE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION OF THE VEHICLE WITHA CLEAR SPACE BETWEEN THE TWO NEAREST ROLLERS OF ADJACENT GROUPS ON EACHSIDE OF THE VEHICLE GREATER THAN THE LONGEST ANGLE BAR IN USE ON SAIDTRACK, THE ROLLERS OF A FIRST GROUP OF EACH SAID PAIR OF GROUPS BEINGMOVABLE BY SAID MOVING MEANS TO OPEN CONDITION TO AVOID AN ANGLE BARWHILE THE SECOND GROUP OF SUCH PAIR REMAINS IN CLOSED CONDITION, SO THATTHE SIDE OF THE TRACK ON WHICH SUCH PAIR IS SITUATED REMAINS SUPPORTEDFROM SAID LIFTING FRAME BY SAID SECOND ROLLER GROUP, THE FIRST ROLLERGROUP BEING RECLOSEABLE BEYOND THE ANGLE BAR TO MAINTAIN SUCH SUPPORTFROM SAID LIFING FRAME BEFORE OPENING THE SECOND ROLLER GROUP TO AVOIDTHE ANGLE BAR.